Giant Serpent
The Giant Serpent (Messorem colosseus), also known as the Reaper Snake, is a giant, black snake that eats deathmonkeys, night panthers, and ape bears. They evolved from the Stimson's Python. In Ape Bear religion, they act as agents of, and are a symbol of, the death goddess, Grymodas, younger sister of the god and goddess of life and birth, Frumonon and Frilika respectively. They are the fortellers of misfortune and seeing them supposedly means ill fortune or even death. Traits and Skills Known for their primarily black bodies, the Giant Serpent is infamous for its skills in camouflage. It, being a nocturnal reptile, blends right into its environment disturbingly well, sometimes to the point of being completely invisible. Because of their large size, however, their paths and the large noise they make when moving tend to expose them, and this may cost them their food. Simply constricting prey isn't enough for them, which is why they are the first snakes of their kind to develop a form of dagger-like teeth to bite the jugular veins of potential prey, and the constricting has thus been used as a way to hold prey down as it delivers the final blow, not for killing anything. It communicates by using its tongue to whistle to other Giant Serpents, though this is just to ward away rivals. Its underbelly is highly vulnerable, and they try to keep it away from anything sharp. In fact, there was a report of an attack on an Ape Bear infant that involved cutting open the hungry Giant Serpent's underbelly, and much to the mother's surprise, the baby was alive and well. This has led to the development of the expression "even if I must cut the snake's stomach," which means that someone will do anything out of desperation even if it is something dangerous. Diet The bad reputation of this snake is well-deserved, as many an Ape Bear cub has fallen prey to the Giant Serpents, as their nails haven't gotten sharp yet. However, their primary meal is the Deathmonkey. Night Panthers are a rare meal, but occasionally, one or more night panthers will be eaten by a Giant Serpent in a single day. They will not eat an Ape Bear if there is more than one, as it is smart enough to know that the claws they have are sharp enough to cut its belly open. They will only eat once or twice every two days due to the amount of time it takes to digest a meal. Threats Giant Serpents, surprisingly enough, have only a few animals that prey on them. If there are enough, Ape Bears can successfully hunt and kill one lone Giant Serpent, as it is said that their meat is sacred and because of this, it is only served on funerals. Lake Serpents are known to drown these snakes by using the Giant Serpent's weight to its advantage, and then eat it after it has been dead for awhile. Distribution This is one of the few reptiles whose distribution consist only of The Hopeful Lands, as it has been encountered on many different islands. Reproduction Giant Serpents are naturally antisocial, but every summer solstice, Giant Serpents will meet and mate with each other. Males will leave saliva on the female's head which other males will smell. This indicates that she has been taken. Giant Serpent females will then find or make a burrow and lay their eggs there. After seven months, the babies hatch and are off on their own.